4-75. The Joy In Heaven Over One Sinner Who Repents

Join Josh Brockman and Dan Reed as they explore Luke 15, focusing on the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. The focus here is on the context of these parables, and their application to you today in the 21st century as well. They discuss God's mercy, the joy of repentance, and how these lessons apply to believers today.

Be sure and go Like & Follow the podcast, our Facebook page, and join The One Truth Podcast Community Group on Facebook!

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Welcome back again to the One Truth Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Brockman, alongside across the screen, down the state, from my co-host Dan Reed. And we're glad you found us today. Welcome back. Welcome for the first time. However, you found us. You know, Dan, we haven't clarified our our our uh episode season episode number system in a while. This litter's getting pretty big though. Uh those of you who don't know, Dan and I both raised pigs, and Bronck did too, as we started. And so we decided at the beginning of this deal that's how just ear notch system is how we go along, and each season's its own book study, and and uh so we started with one-one and and uh season two anyways, here we are, season four, fourth letter, dash seventy fifth, seventy-fifth, seventy-fifth episode as we make our way through season four and the gospel of Luke. So welcome. Yeah. Dan is back in his office, his podcast studio official, microphone in front of him. Yeah, how how does it feel, Dan?

SPEAKER_00 1:39

It took me a while to get this office clean, how I like it, but uh it really feels good to be back in my little cubby hole here. And we say office, I'm barely fitting this place, but we thought it was gonna be really neat when we built the house. And it's an office recording studio. It's not soundproof, as you can probably tell from podcasts past, that is not soundproof. Uh and then the next one's coming up with summer and Reagan's kids being home. You definitely know it is not soundproof.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Oh, yeah, I think I hear Reagan singing in the background, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Shouldn't do it.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

That'd be a nice background noise for the 75th episode. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Yeah. Uh well, and we would thought we were gonna be real smart ear notching these episodes. And, you know, even some of the chapter or some of the the books of the Bible have twenty to thirty chapters, and that's getting almost out of hand on liter size, but in our feeble minds we thought, yeah, we'll do a chapter and episode and be done. And here we are on the 75th episode of of Luke, and uh we're I think we're a little over halfway through, but oh no.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Yeah, we're we're a little over halfway through, but yeah, it is uh yeah, it's it's gonna it's shaping up, not shaping up, it already is the longest season uh on record for the One Truth Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

So that just shows you a a small glimpse of God's grace and his provision, I guess if you want to say that, because I mean you could ask me five years ago if I'd be looking at you on a computer screen with a microphone in front of my face and her recording something for the whole world to possibly hear. Even though what God was doing in my life that back then, I would have said, You're crazy. And here we are, through God's mercy and grace, and just doing this. And I I have a lot of fun doing this, Josh, and and uh a lot of times, and I know you're the same, you get as much out of it as maybe anyone that's gonna listen as we sit back and and do this and prepare for it, and I'm just thankful for for our listeners. Um we get a report each week and it looks like there's and I don't know why, but there's more people that listen here lately. Very humbling and pretty cool to see what God will do to reach his people, right? As we get into Luke 15 today, I hope there's that one that listens to this and hears this for the reason of hey, you're not too far gone, right? And and so with the powers of the internet and all the stuff, podcasts. What in the world is a podcast? You know what I'm saying, Josh? Just I'm old. Like I remember when I was a senior in high school, we had to dial up internet enter Carthage High School. Uh and first period in computer science class, good lord. That's all you could hear was the dial up. Everybody cranking up their computers.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

So for me to do this, pretty cool. Just just me sitting back and reflecting. I'm just reflecting out loud, but sorry guys. Uh, we'll get to it.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

It is it is wild how far, and we've talked about this before, but it is wild how far technology has come in a sense. And then how you know Solomon Solomon says there's nothing we're studying Ecclesiastes on Tuesday nights, this is fresh on my mind. There's nothing new under the sun, too. I think a lot about on on podcast stuff, it's like a circle back to radio, right? And and not that radio ever necessarily went away, but it it's and now most podcasts, this one's not, but a lot of them are are are moved back to to video also. And so you kind of have that mesh of the two worlds, but it's so uh you know, uh when Jess was on, he made the comment of consuming a lot of and material and stuff working on the farm and his AirPods and that and that, and I'm the same way. And so it's it was just interesting to me that the full circle back to back to and maybe maybe it's not a full circle, but anyways it's like radio has made this huge impact yet again, just through a different kind of avenue, and so it's uh yeah, it's interesting. No, I was looking up on uh four different countries here in the last five episodes. Let's see here of all time how many a hundred and ten different countries or territories. The podcast is United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, UK, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Iraq, India, Italy, Argentina, Pakistan, Ukraine, Urbakistan, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Russia, Colombia, France, Japan, Chile, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Australia, anyways, the list goes on, but kinda interesting to be sitting here and and and uh have that many different locations. So that's cool. That's cool. Man, it does go on and on. I haven't looked at that in a while. Um yeah, 110 over the last however many years we've been doing this, so that's cool. So wherever you are, welcome.

unknown 7:10

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Yet again, I always have this thought of it, you're probably somewhere in the vicinity of that I could drive to today, but obviously that's not the case.

unknown 7:19

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

So, however you found us, wherever you found us, we appreciate it. And uh look forward today as we jump back in to Luke, our study of Luke in chapter 15. And as Dan said, Norton, when we sit down, our original thought was we take a chapter a week and and go, and sometimes it works out that way, sometimes it doesn't. Today, we're gonna take this chapter as a whole, I think. And uh so today we will cover the entirety of chapter 15, so we will kind of hold to that premise as we look at these three different parables um of Jesus' teaching here in Luke 15. And so just a quick recap before we jump into it and talk about it. If if you've been with us the last few weeks, so Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. He was at a at a uh uh invited to a Pharisee's house, and they were gonna have a meal. They'd set this man before him, and he had healed. They had to discuss that, and you can you can roll back on episodes if you haven't heard those and and hear more about that. And then um Jesus begins these parables of of speaking of of a banquet or a dinner party, and and uh speaking of humility and exaltation, and how and again speaking to these guys directly, but with uh something that we can certainly take and and apply, turns to the host, speaks to him about uh who to invite to the banquet and and a lesson from there, uh and then gives the the parable of of the the great banquet or the parable of the dinner, depending on which translation of how it's subtitled, um, and and speaks of those who were invited that didn't come, and we talked about that last week, and then uh uh send his slave out to invite the other ones so that his his house may be full, and uh the the eternal correlation to that parable and what Christ was teaching. Then we had the disciple, the the test of discipleship last week, and what what does it cost? And Christ's words, one of the um more profound spots and in the gospels to me of of of how he he laid it out black and white, of uh counting the cost to follow him. And we talked about that. And so now, here as we come to chapter 15, and I'm just gonna read the uh the first two verses off of that. He says, Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near to him to listen to him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. So again, Jesus is is uh all of these reprobates, all of these downcasts, the tax collectors were looked in that culture as outcasts. They they were traitors to their people that worked for the Roman oppression. Um so these Pharisees and scribes, these religious people are looking down and saying, Look, all these tax collectors and sinners that are flocking to Jesus, which we can talk about within itself, and they were grumbling and upset with the case. And in that context, in that setting of all of these sinful people coming to Christ, these men upset and grumbling about it, Jesus tells these three parables to them.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

So I'm glad you read that, Josh, because that that uh how do I say this? Because I got I get aggravated when I read that verse right there. Because if your church is like those scribes and Pharisees, you better get out of there. If your church is worried about what the people look like that walk into church, what the people act like that walk into church, I'd find another church. Here all the time, and and it's there's been one that's floated around social media about how you should dress to go to church, and oh my goodness. It j I I I I'm not at a loss for words, but it just really gets to me when people worry about what you wear to go to church. I saw you. I'm sure there's some things you probably shouldn't, but if that's all you got, I'll make room for you on my pew. My pew. I say my pew because we're Baptists, and that is my pew. It's just directly in the clear from the balcony, because I will not sit under the balcony because one day it's gonna fall, and I don't want to be sitting under it when it falls. So right there, first dentin, just clear the balcony, middle second. I'm there. That's my pew. I will make room. Because the guy in front of me, that's his pew, too, and I'm not sure he'll make room, but we'll make we'll make room on my pew, right? Uh that does aggravate me. And I'm not even gonna say I get it. The argument to say wear nice clothes, I don't get that. I don't. And maybe that was that was a tradition, and sure, whatever. Tradition. Some traditions are meant to be broken. Isn't that the isn't that what it says? Or is that a rule? Whatever. Some traditions are to be made new. Just like these guys still getting aggravated. Whoa, he's tax collectors and sinners, come on. You sit by a big one, physically and spiritually, whatever, by me. On church on Sunday mornings. Not a tax collector, but sinner. Put some clothes on and sit by me. Whatever. I I don't cover up. If it's fig leaf, it's fig leaf, Josh. Whatever. I don't know how to say it. I I'm not. Yeah. Just be more like Jesus and your thoughts and words, and your Facebook posts.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Well, and so I'll I'll I'll pick up right there where you come in with that, because it's interesting to me, and again, if you if you were with us last week and and you and you or if you weren't, just just back up ten verses and read the last part of 14. And the the interesting thing is despite the difficulties that Christ had had uh just spoken of, these people are flocking to him. And then uh another thing I come across in my study is is um I can't remember it was it was one of Sproul's commentaries. I can't remember which one, so I don't have it pulled up, but either way it doesn't matter. The point was he said, What makes and if you think back of all of Christ's teachings so often, I mean he he doesn't I mean he's pretty black and white about a lot of it, but these, even after all that, are flocking to him, not away from him. And I think we live in a in a I talk about the culture a lot, but I think we live in a culture that tries to divide that and say, well, you know, you need to accept this and accept that and accept that. But I made this comment, we were looking at this last week, uh, with a group of the of the crew here at the farm, and I made this comment and not not to puff you up, Dan, but these people came to one who was clear on what was sin and what was not, but was merciful and forgiving. And and you know, you think of of John 4 and the woman at the well, and we've talked about that, of of that he told her all the things that she'd done, and then she runs into town and says, I've met the one who's told me all of the evil that I've done, essentially, and the weight's just lifted because of the forgiveness that comes with that. And I referenced you, Dan, and our little Bible study here at the farm last week. Of I know regardless of the sin that I have in my life, if there's something that I'm struggling with, I can I can come to you and confess it to you. And and you're not gonna say, alright, well, that's alright, man. Just, you know. Yeah, go ahead and keep doing that. You're you're gonna tell me you're right, it's sinful. Yeah. But I know that you're gonna hear it and you're gonna respond in a way that is merciful, just as you've been forgiven. That is, according to the scripture, that is, and if you don't, if it's something that's difficult and you don't know the answer, you're gonna you're gonna find the answer. But um I have that comfort of knowing another believer as I struggle in my sin, you struggle in your sin, that we can we can come to one another because we have been forgiven much. And we're gonna interact in that way. And that's how we should all strive to be. I'm not saying that I I do that perfectly, um, because I don't, but it's interesting how these tax collectors and sinners were flocking to the one who was clear about their sin, yet merciful and forgiving. How often do we not see that in ourselves? That means we're not being as Christ-like as we as we ought, because we can get caught up in the flesh and in the world, and then the things that you know the world wants to respond with, yeah, hold that over your head, you should have done better, suck it up. Yeah. You know.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Yeah. I put it like this to to a few guys, don't be the baseball mom when it comes to holding Christian men accountable. Don't be the Oh, good job, it's okay, great game. When someone is asking you for advice or confessing sin to you. Hold them accountable. That's that maybe one of the hardest things we do is hold people accountable or to be held accountable. Honesty in in in in a righteous way and a graceful, right graceful way, and stand by your brother or your sister and pray with them and help them through that sinful part, that s whatever it is. But we can't have the attitude of, oh, it's okay. No one it doesn't it i it great game, you know. Uh I'll get off on a tangent there too, and we're doing a podcast on Luke 15, not pee-wee baseball, but um holding people accountable i is an honor, right? They they've trusted you to do that and take it very seriously. Because when I when I do the same with Josh, I know the first thing he's gonna do is I'm gonna pray, brother. I got you. Whatever it is. Uh love your brothers, love your sisters. Love them like Jesus, because I guarantee you, when Jesus was at the well with that woman, he didn't say, Hey, it's okay. You you're doing great, great job. No, he didn't. What did he say? Josh, Josh just said, Go and sin no more. That's what Jesus told the lady. He told her all her sins. This is what you're doing, but just don't do it anymore. Go and sin no more.

SPEAKER_02 18:13

Oh. Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

So, yeah, as we work through this, you could see like you know, and just have an honest reflection of which side of the fence are you do you fall on here? And um there's the there's there's the tax collectors and sinners that are that are clinging to Jesus, that are repentant, that are or are at least headed that direction. And there's the Pharisees and the scribes that are grumbling, saying this saying this man receives sinners. So that they're grumble again. And if you think back to the last chapter and the interactions all the way through, um their their offense is against Christ. Why why would he eat with such a one? Why would he receive such a one as this? And when we get eventually to um we're still a couple of chapters, Luke 18. It's coming. We'll have another instance of this same type of of comparison. So um, we haven't done this in a while then, but what do you think? We just kind of read through these as we go, maybe take them one parable at a time. So we're gonna pick up there in three, and we'll just we'll talk about first the parable of the lost sheep.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yeah, Luke 15 verses three. Um, y'all hang in there with us, guys. Sometimes our minds go way faster than our tongues can. So we'll get there. And and a lot of times we just share what's on our heart. Whether it's, I don't know, maybe it's making sense. I hope it is. Maybe to that one person, right, Josh, that's gonna make sense. So Luke 15, verse 3 says, So we told them this parable. What man among you who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in op in an open field and go after the one until he finds it. When he's found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep. I tell you in the same way, there will there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don't need repentance.

SPEAKER_02 20:27

See, probably a common uh a common story that's heard and it's probably recognizable by many of you. But if you think about this uh of the lost sheep, there was a few things that I thought, really four things, that just come out to me in that in that parable. One, the shepherd goes to look for the lost sheep. And we're gonna see see some differences through these parables, but in this one specifically, the shepherd goes and seeks the lost sheep. And uh in Luke 10, just a bit earlier, it says Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is the son of Abraham, for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Again, uh that was that was at Zacchaeus' house. Jesus came seeking, just as Jesus the good shepherd, still today comes seeking. Just like Dan had said a few episodes back of his story, running equipment, and God said, Dan, stop running. The Savior seeketh his lost sheep. And so we see that in this parable. The second thing that I thought uh of the forest is when the shepherd finds his lost sheep, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. How does the shepherd retrieve his lost sheep? He doesn't persuade it, he doesn't tempt it or entice it, he doesn't drag it, kicking and screaming, he carries it on his shoulders. Absolutely. And he does so rejoicing. He's found the lost sheep. And in a lot of cases, in my case, this was this way, he found the lost sheep who didn't even know he was lost. And he carries him on his shoulders home, rejoicing along the way. When he comes home, next thing that stood out to me when he comes home, he calls together the welcoming party to celebrate and rejoice. And he compares this in the parable to the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents in the next verse or in the last verse. So again, we were talking about just a while ago of like I have the confidence in confessing sin to Dan just as I do my Lord. And I can remember in the in the very early stages of my regeneration that Christ had saved me, and I had this feeling amongst the world of I could care, and I think I've said this before, but I could care less what you think because the king has forgiven me. Because you should have these people. They're there. And if they're not there, then they're not the ones that you need to be around. I say that bluntly, but truthfully. Yeah, that's true. Because life's hard. And you need these people to confide in. That's why we're here. That's why when you see that you'll know them by their love for one another, of the brethren, loving the church, loving the church. And part of that is helping through one another. If you're an unbeliever and you're seeking God, seek a person that you can seek that way. So, and then the fourth point, um, and here the context again comes clear in verse 7 about who he's speaking to in context directly in this parable. And I can just see it, Dan, as as we talk about it, that he turns and looks diligently at these that are grumbling about these sinners that have come beneath Jesus' feet, that are sitting there listening to his teaching, and these religious leaders, and he said, And I tell you, looking at them, that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and then looking again at them, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. So again, you see him make that. Who's he actually speaking to? You men who think, and we talked talked about it in chapter 14, of those that were exalted, that were inviting one another to the banquets, and taking high places at the dinner table, and this, that, and the other, these who feel they need no repentance, and they're looking down on this situation, and Jesus says, I tell you, there's more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous who think, at least. It says who need no, but I who need no repentance.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

And all the celebration. The celebration in heaven when one sinner turns to Jesus. And what and what I get to I see that in real time now. I see kids, I see coaches, I j how their lives change because of what Jesus is doing in their life. And and a lot of you guys may like may be thinking, I don't get to see that face to face. You know what? You're getting to plant that seed. You are being Jesus in your interactions with people on a daily basis. And we've talked to several of you that have asked for prayers about a coworker or a family member, and you just kept planting the seed, and we've seen God take that seed, water it, and m and and make it grow, and it turns into repentance from that coworker or that family member, and they find Jesus. Because you planting that seed has just part been part of Jesus' pursuit of them. And it's just it's just so cool watching watching our creator work in the ways he does. In the simple ways that he does, Josh, just to bring people to him. The sinners and the tax collect. I mean, he put tax collectors first, tax collectors and sinners. All you other guys besides the tax collectors, you two. Dude, really? What what exactly were you guys doing to be considered before the sinners? To be written down in the Bible before the sinners.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

No, I think again it just goes, you know, it goes to show the again in context of of how that that uh that person was viewed. I'm trying to think of how far back it was when we talked about that kind of in depth of what a tax collector was really viewed as. Um, and even Christ's references in Matthew 18, I think maybe that's where it was. He said, um on the on the end of church discipline, one who doesn't repent and doesn't receive even the church, excommunicate him and treat him as a tax collector and a gentile. And so again, just uh the way that they were they were traitors. They're and most of them were, as we read in in scripture, most of them were were were thieves, were crooked, were you know bow down, if is what we would call them today. So but again, you see them and Matthew, one of the apostles, formerly a tax collector, changed by Christ.

SPEAKER_00 27:27

Yeah, all right. Let's jump into eight, and he he knows people that may have confused a few folks because maybe they don't all tend sheep. But I think he relates it even better in the next few verses here, and he says, Or what about the woman who has ten silver coins? If she loses one coin, does she not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost. I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

One thing I thought here was that that in this in this parable of the lost coin, you see pretty clearly God's sovereignty and man's responsibility both. You see that the woman loses the coin, the woman lights the lamp, the woman searches the house carefully until she finds the lost coin. When she finds it, she rejoices. And again, just like there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. So you you see the woman that's just as we saw the shepherd, the last one seeking and searching, but then you see the sinner who repents and turns, um, kind of meshed together, maybe in that that parable together. So kind of short and sweet and to the point, um, but the same principle.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

Yeah, the rejoicing that happens when one is found. A lot of fun. A lot of fun when that I mean one day we'll be able to rejoice when a sinner repents. Rejoice with the angels in heaven. Uh, that's I guess that's what I meant to say.

SPEAKER_02 29:11

Right. No, and that that's the other interesting thing, is is is is we still, you know, you think uh we're we're right on Sunday mornings in the Lord's Prayer, uh where Nolan's teaching through in Matthew, and and um yeah, uh carry out his will on earth as it is in heaven. So again, we we get to do that, right? I I know exactly what you meant, did, of rejoicing with the angels in heaven, but we we re we rejoice here just as and we get the confirmation in a teaching like this of the same rejoicing um in heaven. And and again, that's the believer, right? When a when a when the most evil person, and and really I say this a lot, like uh we're all individually the most evil person that we know because we we know the deep dark things that no one else knows about ourselves, um, that that maybe never even surface into action, but never even but the the the thoughts and the things that um that come about and we we see the celebration of the person who repents that turns to Christ, that's then set free from sin, now a slave to righteousness, no longer a slave to the sin in their life. And man, what the what the rejoicing is is of that. And so uh in this next one, it's it's it's likely gonna be very familiar, and it's likely subtitled in your Bible, The Prodigal Son. Interesting to me, the first the first half of this will sound very familiar, and it's usually what it's focused on in this parable. Though there's equally as much to learn in verse 25 to the 32, it's it's it's the called commonly the parable of the prodigal son. But again, think of our context of who he's speaking to and who he's teaching to, and the point that he's teaching, it it could just as equally be called the parable of the older brother, or the parable of the prodigal son and the older brother. And so maybe, Dean, if we take this one, let's let's take it, let's take it in two parts, and let's let's go through 24 and and then talk about that, and then maybe pick back up in 25 through the end. How's that sound?

SPEAKER_00 31:26

I think it sounds great. Absolutely. I love it when we're on the same page. We're on the same page today. In verse 11, he said, A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me. Which was probably very rare. I mean, usually you don't get that until I I'm sure uh the father passes away, or maybe another extenuating circumstance, very unlike the son coming to say, Give me what give me what's owed to me, Dad. Hey, give I I want my half now. Uh and so he and the dad's and so the next verse or the next sentence says, So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later the younger son gathered together all he had and travelled to a distant country where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of the of that country who sent him into the fields to feed pigs. Sounds like a lot of fun, Josh. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, and and I wish it would tell us the length of time it took him to come to his senses, and maybe there's some research that knows that. Um he said, How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food, and I'm here dying of hunger? I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers. So he got up and went to his father, but while the son was still a long way off, the father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms round his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I've sinned against heaven, and in your sight I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father told his servants, Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him, put a ring on his finger, and that ring would signify him being back in the family. Says put sandals on his feet, he didn't have to walk barefooted like their their hired workers did, or their slaves did. He said, Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate with the feast. Because this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found, so they began to celebrate. Alive again. And Josh, what a what a story, what an example, and I know a lot of of guys and ladies that listen can relate probably to this story, to whatever extent it may be. But knowing the father's reaction, as soon as he saw the son, he knew who it was from a long way off. He knew who he was, and he was filled with compassion, knowing that his son had returned home. And I'm sure the father knew a little I knew hey, he's out messing around, he's he's like like the word like my Bible says, doing foolish things, squandering everything he had on foolish living. I can hear Phil Robertson saying that, squandering everything he had on foolish. I can't say it like he would, but I can see him saying that foolish living. But the dad, the father, was filled with compassion. And I remember when God met me, he didn't say, Dan, stop running or else. He just said stop running. Come home, I'm gonna put my arms around you, I'm gonna kiss you, clothe you in righteousness, cover you in grace and mercy. We're gonna celebrate. And I don't have kids old enough yet. I mean they do some goofy stuff, but they're not capable of leaving yet and doing living foolishly in the world. But I've always told them I'll I'll never stop loving you. I may not like you at times, and I'm sure they don't like me at times too, but I'll never stop loving you, and and I can relate to this in several different ways, Josh. This this parable here. But as a father, knowing that I can never stop loving my kids and I'm a human, right? How much our Father in heaven, our Creator, the one that sent his son to die on the cross for us, that raised him from the dead, how much he can love us. I mean, this kid was feeding pigs after living foolishly, had nothing squandered at all, and all he had to do was go home. I'm sure he showed up in rags, he was dirty. I have a good inkling he probably stump. Just a guess. But the kid did not come out of the field, find a shower, find new clothes, find a comb for his hair, and some smell good to put on to go home to his father. He came just as he was, stinky, dirty, torn-up clothes. I I'm just assuming, you know, he wasn't in good shape. And the father welcomed him with open arms, a hug and a kiss, robe and a ring, shoes to put on his feet, because he probably hadn't had shoes in no telling how long. And they celebrated because that young man came home, came home just as he was.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

And I I was just reading again, and and in 17 he says, but when he came to his senses, and uh literal of his senses is when he came to himself and he looked up and he said, How many of my father's hired men have more and more than enough bread, but I'm dying here with hunger. What what it's it's needed to see the and and hear the the different ways the Lord draws his people. And you know, for for some I think it's exactly like this. It's he takes away you see again both sides of it. Through through one's own terrible decisions, he continues to take away things. So this son, he he makes the decision to uh um get his estate, take off, and squander it, and and through through one decision at a time, there was less and less and less until eventually he looks up and he's down to nothing. For for me, I I can remember as as the Lord drew me and convicted me, you know, from a worldly sense of the things that were around me, uh everything was material-wise, success, finances, all all that was fine. That that that I at least that I remember, I'm gonna say we had a lot, but we had it was fine. There was no issues. But I can remember and and and from no reason the things that didn't bother me that I was doing began to bother me more. And I'm talking about sin, I'm not talking about going down to have have breakfast on a Saturday morning. And the things of my past had that had not bothered me. Whether new, right, or wrong, and different, just began to to weigh on me. And you know, Romans says that that the wrath of God, you you continue as you sin to store up the wrath of God against yourself, basically. Uh until the day of judgment. And as I kind of read this in 17, but when he came to his senses, I I see in this parable the guy that that everything just kept being removed until he finally looked up and said, What am I doing? I have a father at home that uh even as his lowest servant would be better than this filth that I'm surrounded in. And I see my then my my own story that I know better than anyone's is when finally I said, What am I doing? And and it had nothing to do with the filth that was around me from a material sense, but the filth that was around me from a sin standpoint of why. And and so I I think everyone's conversion fits fits into there somewhere that you know they say in that movie The Blind, you brought up Phil Robertson, it's when you come to the end of yourself, and in one way or another, especially those of you who maybe have not, or maybe are being drawn to Christ now, or are unbelievers, or later in your life, and I say later in your life, like you're not um 18 or younger, like you you've stored up some wrath, and you can look back and think, why? And just where does the conviction, where does the, you know, it's kind of like Dan said when he's running, like where does the stop running? Where does that come from? From from the grace and mercy of a God that's drawing you to him. And and you look up and you see, realize, like, oh, and Christ it's paid for. And and the grace of God, and the Bible says the grace of God leads those to repentance. Um I had had this in my notes from the parable before this one, but it it's like 2 Corinthians 7 says of the the the one with godly sorrow that leads to repentance. It it's it's a sorrow from above, so to speak. And and that's where this man looks up, says, I'm dying with hunger. I'll get up and go to my father and say to him, I've sinned against heaven. So again, he didn't say I I don't have anywhere else to go. He says, I've sinned against heaven, and in your sight, Father. And then 19, I am no longer worthy to be called your son. And like at the beginning of this, Dan had made the the you'd made the you made the connection of of if you're in a church that that someone walks in that's full of sin and that and is looked down upon or dressed, however, and that find a new church. And here's where it is, because in 19, every genuine believer knows this right here in 19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Because outside of Christ, we're trapped in sin. Sin equals death. We're headed for that. Wrath stored up, rightfully so. It's every decision that I've made. Um I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. And then as you come, we talked about that in 14, of the humble, the exalted will be humbled, and the humbled will be exalted. Humble yourself before the Lord. And that's what this you see that in this parable, this man, I'm no longer worthy, but here I am. And then you see the response of the Father. Dan articulated very well. He embraced him, he kissed him, he said, Come to me. Brings out the welcoming party, and it all fits together. More joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Let us celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found, and then began to celebrate. Beautiful picture. Beautiful. But they didn't all begin to celebrate as we get to the second half of this parable.

SPEAKER_00 43:16

Yeah, and I I think I think we have some time to jump into the second half and not wrap it up because we don't finish, we don't finish. That won't be the first time. Verse 25, it says, now the older son was in the and I want to go back, Josh, because when the young man stated that I've sinned against heaven and in your sight, that I I think that shows a little bit about the father and how he raised those young men. Right? That that young man knew right from wrong. He knew the Creator in heaven, but he let his own self get in the way. And it was by the self inflicted wounds, self inflicted harm that. That he just he he let his mind take over and took his eyes off heaven. And then, like Josh said, when he came to his senses, when he came to, when he realized, man, what am I doing? He came home. Train a child. I'd have to look up the verse. Train a child in the way he should go. And when he oh goodness, when he when he leaves, he will not depart from it. Something like that. Yep. That I tried, guys. I'd have to look that up. Um that was a New Year's resolution that's going wonderfully for me to remember the exact verses. Here we go. I knew my guy would have it.

SPEAKER_02 44:39

I knew it was Proverbs. I had to look up which one it was. I was quick.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Anyway, here we go. So now the older son, raised in the same household, right, knew everything that the father had taught him, was in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. The servant said, Your brother's here, he told him, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. And so this young man, the older brother, I can I'm sure his head was just a spin, and he said he became angry, didn't want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, Look, I've been slaving many years for you, and I've never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him. The father said, Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.

SPEAKER_02 46:05

Alright, I want to read one thing. Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near to listen to him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. Again, in this, you see Christ turn to the religious to the same people that Dad said earlier. If you're in a church that someone walks in the door that's tax collector, sinner, prostitute, dressed uh whatever, unmodestly, so on and so forth, and you look at them with this, yeah, the wrong place. It's you, your heart's in the wrong place.

SPEAKER_00 46:45

Absolutely. This maybe need to be one of those behind the paywall extra credit episodes. Because my human nature gets in the way when I start thinking about stuff like this and trying to express how I feel about this. There's a couple things that can get me fired up. Three of them are my kids, get aggravated, and I do need to be better that way. And this is another one. What would Jesus do?

SPEAKER_02 47:11

It's interesting. You know, and and you come to this too, and you just think of the semantics of it of he became angry, wasn't willing to come in. His father came out then pleading with him. And you've got Christ standing uh you know teaching in his ministry for three years in context here to the religious leaders, to the to the people of Israel, saying, Repent, come out. And you think back to John the Baptist, repent, for the kingdom is at hand. The axe is laid at the root of the tree, this things are coming, so on and so forth, pleading with them to come out. And um some do, many don't. But then you roll down to 31, and he said to him, Son, you have always been with me, and you all that is mine is yours. And you come back to to uh to verse twelve, so he divided his wealth between them. He had everything, but he puts you know, the the the point is the fact that he's upset that the that the brother repents and returns. You know, we we see that a little bit uh in uh where is that? Is that Jonah? Is that Jonah that was sent to Nineveh and Jonah's upset, Prophet Jonah, because he said, Lord, I know you, you're a merciful God, and if I go and I preach to them and they repent, I know you'll forgive them. And they don't deserve that, right? That's what Jonah says. Yes. And so, you know, i i if you struggle with that, don't don't think that that I, and I'll I'll speak for for me and Dan both, but uh the flesh can struggle with this because the world is going to show you the opposite. That guy wasted it, he deserves it, he squandered everything. Why are we celebrating the fact that he's returned? That that's what the world would tell you to say. He he shot himself in the foot, he did this to himself, he's getting what's coming to him. That that's the world, right? That's what the world would say. Well, look back to yourself, if you're a believer and trusting in the Lord, and say, if I got everything that was coming to me, where would I be? The Lord should have should have smite me down for my sin long ago, but for some reason he continues to allow me to live. And thankfully, he continued to allow me to live long enough that he saved me. Amen. Now I'm no longer a slave to sin, I'll live eternally in Christ Jesus, what the scripture says. So the same here. This one has now begun to live again. Celebrate. Don't be angry. This person has stumbled into a church building to to, for whatever reason, on a Sunday morning, celebrate that they may hear the word of God preached. What a blessing it is. If you're listening to this, celebrate that the the Lord of heaven has graced you with the fact that you not not with mine and Dan's presence, but with the fact that you've heard his word read that he's given us. We take that for granted. You know, you think of there's a person that's gonna live that hasn't heard this. It's a blessing, it's a mercy, it's a grace. And so the fact that the older brother has issues with this, it's the same fact of the Pharisees that need no repentance, that are hard-hearted. And we'll read as we get uh and uh 16 and then again in 18 more that will unveil about their character and what they thought of their self, that they trusted in themselves, that they trusted in their own works, um, that they didn't feel like they were sinners. They were the righteous, they were the pious, they were the exalted. Um, but again, we read last week, or maybe two weeks ago now, but those who are exalted will be humbled. Humble yourself before the Lord. Anyways, th three neat parables to me that is my last I've got is is so much that we can we can see and we can learn and apply that that we can see exactly what was happening in this context, in this conversation that fits perfectly here two thousand years later, that we can see in our own life, either past, present, or future, and and and take and run with.

SPEAKER_00 51:20

So Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 51:22

Any closing thoughts, Dan?

SPEAKER_00 51:25

I love you guys, gals. We really appreciate y'all tuning in. We we we love the feedback, the prayer requests, yeah, those that pray for us. Do it some more, please.

SPEAKER_02 51:40

Yes, definitely, definitely. You can use it. Awesome. Thank you guys, Dan said, for tuning in. Means a lot. Hearing from you guys is always a blessing to us. And uh, if we can do anything for you, let us know, pray for you. Uh we'd love to. Um, we we it's a blessing to us to be able um to do that. So um, if there's anything we can do for you, let us know. And we will see you next week, Lord willing, on the one truth.